Computer systems often provide review tools which allow writers and developers to review drafts of information. The information can be in the form of simple text files representing documents or computer program code, or may be structured documents such as those defined by such languages as HTML. The latter type of documents are in common use due to the existence of web-based publishing, both on the Internet World Wide Web, and on Intranets which are found within a company or organization.
Prior art systems, such as the IBM host-based tool, Revufile™, have been developed which provide online reviewing environments for flat linear documents. Such tools, however, are not appropriate for reviewing webs of information, and no appropriate web-based review tool has been developed. Previously developed systems are constrained in accepting comments to files made by different reviewers in parallel and in permitting dynamic display of the comments made to files.
It is therefore desirable to have a review tool which will provide an interaction with its users through a web browser, whether the tool is running through the Internet and the World Wide Web, or through a company Intranet or Local Area Network. Such a review tool or system will permit comments to be added to documents and displayed dynamically.